Bush Is Running Against Japanese

COMMENTARY

George Bush`s politics of patriotism need a foreign foil. It appears he has chosen Japan.

This does not mean Bush is seeking a new cold war with Japan, or even a trade war. He has just found a convenient outlet for present-day American frustrations.

The White House has come close to blaming Japanese trade policies for the American recession. The president and the Big Three automakers are leaning on the Japanese government to force Japan`s auto dealers to sell American cars to a public that does not want them.

All this distracts the American electorate from the problems the president is not addressing. These include the federal deficit, the high rate of corporate and personal debt, the steady decrease in American worker productivity, and a deteriorating American infrastructure.

None of those problems originated in Japan. They are of our own making.

Looking down the road toward November, the president can see the issue of jobs looming large. The Democrats in Congress appear ready to take drastic and irresponsible trade measures. To head that possibility off, the president believes he must appear to be tough on the Japanese.

Running against the Japanese is an awkward game for Bush. The countries` economies are already deeply entwined. Almost any measure aimed by the U.S. at Japan will likely have its most harmful effects on the American consumer.

A win/win solution must begin with a candid assessment of our own economy. Our ability to compete globally depends first on ourselves. The Japanese know that, even if the president and his travel companions appear oblivious to reality.

The next president, whether George Bush or a Democrat not yet named, will serve the country well by a change of course. Instead of a confrontation with Japan, we should study it more intensely. If we understood how to be competitive again, we would not need to bash and beg Japan for a larger market share. We would earn it.